Monday, April 27, 2009

Here is a link to Sherry Goodloe's "Blast from the Past" favorite song playlist from 1968-1971. She lists 36 GREAT songs for your listening pleasure and has some fun pictures posted.This is a nostalgic challenge that Heather Powers of Humblebeads is sponsoring. My favorites are listed below a few posts down!

I just finished a batch of Gothic owl beads. I will have them listed in my Etsy shop, if I ever open it.... they are about an inch long, made of cernit polymer clay, sculpted, baked, carved, painted, etc....probably baked at least 5 times!Look - there's a tuscan one that snuck in!I have also been working on a resin necklace and earrings. The bezels from these are old rusty ones that Amber Dawn (literally) dug up! This is the first stage, with just a thin layer of resin to smooth everything out. next I will layer with images of bird eggs topped with more resin. each of these links will be spaced with a bird bead...I have a double hand that will hold a large 3-D egg for the centerpiece.Here are more bezels --bees with carnelian drops yet to be added, mini starfish that will get hanging swarovski stars and say "shine" on the back, and hands that i don't know what i will do with. I also filled round bezels with eyeballs, but i didn't get a picture of those....and for INTERNATIONAL CHARM DAY, APRIL 28th, I put together a charm bracelet/necklace out of left over charms and components! The bracelet attaches to a separate chain to make it a necklace.The bracelet is a little less that 8", as a necklace it is 24". It has 33 charms on it.This is a left side closeup....and this is the right side close-up.This too, is a potential Esty shop assignee!

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!here are 2 new charms I made for the bracelet/necklace, One is patinaed metal wings and a tiny porcelain skull......I call it a "skull bird". Next to it is a bullet casing with a ceramic foot coming out of it. I made an extra set of them and am giving away both of these charmsas well as a pair of bird charms (for earrings or whatever...)Just leave me a comment on this blog entry by midnight Hawaii time April 28th (that's 3 hrs EARLIER than PST) , and you will be entered in a random drawing to take place on April 29th! One winner gets the skull, the foot, the pair of birds, an owl and whatever other goodies I decide to throw in! Good Luck!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Heather Powers of Humblebeads.com is having a nostalgic blog challenge, with great prizes. To enter twice , you need to list your five favorite songs from high school and post them on your blog, preferably as a playlist, and for a third entry, post a picture of yourself from high school......this sounded like fun to me, so here goes....

...just thinking about these songs brings back so many memories! ...I was a very romantic hard rocker.........hahaand...and here's a picture from graduation day....yes, those are white gloves...it was 1970!

2. Bobbie Olivo is giving away a copy of her book "16X Mom" just in time for Mother's Day!Click HERE to enter.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I am trying to come up with a logo for my etsy shop I hope to open soon. I wanted to write the name of my shop in the sand...but i have to tell you this is easier said than done! this example combines a wave, my name and paint shop pro....for the life of me I couldn't do it for real....and it's still crooked! I guess I'll just have to go back to the beach and try again. POOR ME.This week my friend and fellow artist, Lorri Scott, came to the island for a bit of R & R. She and I took a two classes in Waimea, taught by Marionette. The first was a silk painting class. I painted irises - purple and blue with a yellow background. Lorri painted 2 luminescent luna moths with a silver background and used salt to create way cool orbs (i thought they looked like nipples, er, ah....CORAL nibs). I wish I had taken a picture of it, because her scarf was GORGEOUS.The next day we took a watercolor class. I have never done watercolors before...it really makes you think ahead of time - watercolors are NOT very forgiving. Also, I paint very slow -...here is a pic of Lorri and Marionette and I...Marionette has more pictures on her blog.......and below are Lorri's beautiful palm trees......and this is my seascape.The pic on the top is the original photo, and below it is my pen/watercolor painting. Marionette has you rub a graphite stick on the back of the original pic. Then you turn it over and put the pic on your watercolor paper and trace over the predominant lines with a ball point pen. Then you remove the picture and the design has been transferred to your water color paper....and you go over these lines with the micron ink pen. Then you get the paper wet and paint it!This is a cool junk store Lorri and I found across from Marionettes studio. Unfortunately, we only had 10 minutes before class started, and they were closed the next day. I got a lovely blouse for 50% off and a cut velvet dress for $1!I had a wonderful time with Lorri, and we were supposed to meet up again yesterday or today, but my back - ye gads - how did this happen? - went out. I went to a chiropractor yesterday and he said I was de-stressing - and that I should expect to get very tired after he realigned me.....and i was! So I did not meet up with Lorri, but instead went home to bed....and I slept...Today I could barely walk - I was really sore.....but, I was told to expect this too.I go back to the chiropractor tomorrow.........and Lorri returns to California tomorrow, too .....on another note, I have been working on several projects at once...three dollsmultiple resin projects using Amber Dawn's rusty bezels (thank you Amber!)2 iron wire projects for a submissionearrings for a bridal party ...and a charm bracelet for aNational Charm Day give away I will post about tomorrow!...and I have just finished up some owl beads!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Amber Dawn, Internationally known gorgeous charm maker, swap host and collector has declared a NEW HOLIDAY!International Charm Day! ..and for the occasion she has created a special blog! lots of prizes and fun new ideas......I'm playing too, and will be posting new charms and a giveaway.....so stay tuned!http://www.internationalcharmday.blogspot.com/WEAR YOUR CHARMS PROUDLY!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Well i am back at last from my months journey.....While gone I was so consumed by my job that I was unable to keep up with my emails and blog comments, let alone do any blog hopping. If i didn't answer you, please understand I was not ignoring you - and i apologize for my lack of communication.This is a photo of the airport terminal in Philadelphia, on my way to Richmond. I loved the rocking chairs!The job turned out to be pretty grueling - 15 hr days - but Richmond VA was gorgeous!The Virginia State Capitol Building(we shot on these steps and through out the interior of the building....we shot here as if it was Washington, DC)....statue outside the Capitol Building.....The Governor's mansion...we shot a big DC party here.I meant to take a zillion pictures - Richmond is full of incredible bronze statues, brownstones and historical monuments. I was told there was a fantastic cemetery there, but I never got a chance to see it.

The weeks just flew past!....I never even got a day off....
After the job was over, I flew to New York City to see my son Skylar. Sky lives in the most amazing loft apartment - the building is about 5 stories high and there must be 20 apartments on each floor. Sky lives with 6 other young professionals....each has their own tiny make shift room - and his particular loft is 2 stories, with a narrow spiral staircase that leads to the basement and 3 other bedrooms. One of the bedrooms is entered by crawling over the staircase rail. The apartment has graffiti on the mirrors, decoupaged doors and huge paintings and artwork on the walls. It is very clean - but very bohemian. Every week, "Junior" comes over to clean the bathroom and tidy the kitchen and do whatever else he thinks needs doing.....he does this for several apartments in the building - and in exchange he gets to sleep on a couch and take a shower......on the street level is a small cafe owned by a Frenchman named Max...in front are two old stadium chairs that will tip over if you aren't careful. Everywhere you look is eye candy....it was wonderful!

i had never taken the subway, and Sky showed me the ins and outs.The people were a real treat! I saw a young girl with 4 nails on each hand painted one color, and the center nail painted a new color - a new trend, i thought! I loved how everyone dressed - hats, gloves, scarves, boots - fabulous leggings and socks and tights! Sky and I met my niece Jenny and her baby (my grand niece!) Maggie at Penn station and then the 4 of us went to Starbucks for breakfast and then shopping at Macy's - Macy's is 8 stories high! ...and the sales are phenomenal!Then we went to a sushi restaurant and afterwards Sky had to get to school. Jen and I walked to Times Square - and OH MY! the shopping just blew me away. Button stores, bead stores, trim stores -- too much to buy! it was heaven! Then Sky and his cousin Francesca (who is studying fashion design in NYC) met Jen and I and Baby Mags at a steakhouse for dinner.

By now it was pouring rain and Jen and I were soaked (Mags we kept dry), but i learned how to hail a cab.....we took Jen and Mags back to Penn Station and the I went with Sky back to his apartment.The next day I flew to my dad's in Sacramento.My sister Teresa and her husband, Rick, nephew Jameson and girlfriend Lara, Martha my dad's friend, my dad, and Jan, Rick's mom....all of us at dinner at Don's Diner in Woodland, CA.My eldest son Vincent had a few days before let me know he was in a Passion Play in Los Angeles....so of course I had to go see him!Vincent, the Roman soldiercool cross at Shepherd on the Hill Church, where the passion play took place.I flew to LA Sunday morning. My dear friend Cassandrapicked me up at the airport in Burbank and she went to the play with me. Later, she and i and her husband Bill went to dinner....and then I flew back to Sacramento. Whew!I had a great time with my dad and my sister Teresa and yesterday i flew back home to Kauai.I am so happy to be back home with my Lance, Chalupa and Sookie.I really missed my family and am so excited to start up again with my artwork.So there it is!...now to catch-up!